Jaxson Dart: Identity starts at the top and we bought into John Harbaugh's plan

The Giants capped the first Sunday of the 2026 season with their first win under head coach John Harbaugh.

Dallas was the favorite at MetLife Stadium, but the Giants drove for a touchdown the first time they had the ball and never trailed on their way to a 28-20 win that featured plenty to like in every phase of the game. Quarterback Jaxson Dart threw three touchdowns and ran for 54 yards while showing full command of the offense to kick off his second season, and said after the game that the effort was a result of putting everything Harbaugh has been preaching into action.

“I just think that we have so much respect for coach Harbs, and this team will do whatever he says because we have all the faith that he’s going to put us in the best situation to win,” Dart said. “The identity of a team starts at the top and it starts with how he’s conducted himself, with how he’s created a tough team. We want to take that on our shoulders and we bought in to what his plan is week in and week out. We’re definitely happy to get it for him. We were just really happy to get it — not only for the players but for the organization.”

It’s the first time the Giants opened a season with a win since 2022, which was the last time that they ended a season with a trip to the playoffs. Sunday night’s performance will have some around the team thinking about a similar destination and it will be on Harbaugh to make sure that no one gets too far ahead of themselves after a stirring debut.